A Forbidden Love?
by meangreenie
Summary: Nine years have passed since the fall of Naruku and with this newfound peace, it is no wonder an unexpected romance to bloom. Rin is no longer a child and Sesshomaru notices, but will the dog lord allow himself to fall in love with a lowly human girl?
1. Haunting Daydreams

**Chapter One: Haunted Daydreams**

"Rin," Lord Sesshomaru whispered as his crafty golden eyes fondly observed his ward repeatedly stab her short pike into the gentle river current for defenseless fish. Ah-Un, the two-headed dragon steed, tagged alongside her like a loyal watchdog. It was early spring and the cherry blossoms were already carelessly twirling in the cool breeze, their sweet fragrance intoxicating. Secretly, he loved spring above all seasons because it was a time of new beginnings and rebirth.

Nowadays with the fall of Naraku, the dog demon had developed several secrets and appreciation for the world itself. He claimed he journeyed with his small posse in a search for the few remaining Shikon Jewel shards scattered across Japan, but truthfully he enjoyed just adventuring with his companions, Jaken, Kohaku, and especially Rin. Earlier this morning, before sunrise, Jaken and Kohaku had ventured ahead to forerun Sesshomaru's arrival to the Fujioka domain where Inuyasha presided as the daimyo.

So much had changed within the past nine years, and the most eminent change to Sesshomaru was how the feeble child he revived with the Tenseiga that dark night was no longer a child, but rapidly blossoming into a captivatingly beautiful, young woman with each passing day. Even so, Rin was considerably petite for sixteen, but nonetheless her delicate body took on feminine curves and her bosom filled. Although she was no longer a child, sometimes her mannerisms were still quite immature for her age. In fact, she still wore her white and orange checkered kimono even though she had outgrown it to point it bared her short but pretty legs to Sesshomaru's masked delight.

Of course, young Rin was clueless that her long time guardian and master held amorous feelings for her because his stoic face showed no evidence of it whatsoever. Even now as his narrowed eyes followed her galloping through the water, she remained blissfully oblivious.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru!"

The dog demon steadily turned his head back to see a frantic Jaken charging down the slope to the river bank, a billow of sand behind him.

"What is it, Jaken?" Sesshomaru asked, a tinge of annoyance in his voice.

"Inuyasha," the demon steward puffed, patting his small, boney hand against his chest, "he requests your audience immediately."

"Is that so . . ." Sesshomaru groaned, his distaste for his younger, half-brother saturating his words. Suddenly, Rin gave out a cry of victory as she raised her pike into the air, then she allowed Ah-Un to observe all the impaled fish on the pole.

"He said it involves the girl," Jaken mentioned, then detailed by simply adding, "Rin."

"Why?" Sesshomaru snapped bitterly.

Jaken's beak opened, then closed as he had no answer to that.

"I see," Sesshomaru murmured, his eyes narrowing on Rin as she mounted Ah-Un. "It seems we will be heading over there now that she is done."

"So . . . you accept?"

"No." Sesshomaru said in a low growl. "Rin is none of his concern, or his wrench, Kagome."

Reluctantly, Jaken opposed his master's ruling. "Excuse my disobedience, sire, but Inuyasha seemed genuinely interested about the girl's well-being."

Sesshomaru cut his eyes at Jaken, and instantly the tiny demon shriveled into submission.

"Jaken," he said coolly, "do you believe I'm incompetent to take care of Rin?"

"N-N-Not at all, my lord!" Jaken spluttered. "Pl-please pah-pardon my arrogance!"

The dog demon said nothing since his attention fell upon Rin as she joined them riding on top of Ah-Un.

Rin's eyes flickered between them, then she frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Sesshomaru snapped. Without warning, he did a sharp about-face, his white boa bobbing frighteningly behind him as he ascended the slope.

Speechless, both Rin and Jaken watched as Sesshomaru disappeared over the slope, then they exchanged looks of mutual worriment.

"Come along," Jaken sighed, then snagged Ah-Un's reins and lead the beast along.

The horrible dread strangled Rin's heart, and to rid the pain she arched her head up to the noon sky and lost herself in girlish daydreams haunted by Sesshomaru.


	2. Uncertainty

**Chapter Two: Uncertainty**

"You do know . . ." Jaken sighed tirelessly to Rin as she prepared their fish kebabs on top of Ah-Un's back. Sesshomaru, like always, had gone up ahead on his own, but they were use to it and seemingly even enjoyed having their own idle conversations

"Know what?" Rin asked, looking up from her work to Jaken sprawled comfortably along Ah's neck.

"Lord Sesshomaru will be leaving you in Fujioka with Inuyasha and Kagome," he replied.

"Liar!" Rin hissed, then angrily returned to preparing their lunch. "We always visit Fujioka in the spring," she mumbled.

"I speak the truth!" he cried, offended by her accusal. "Kohaku told me he overheard Kagome and Inuyasha speaking privately."

"Really?! What did they say?"

"She wanted to take you as her apprentice."

"Me?" Rin giggled, pressing her hand against her chest, "A priestess? I'm flattered, but I don't think I would make a good priestess, not even a bad one." Priestesses have a certain glow that entrances those around them and embodied everlasting hope. Rin recalled Kikyo and how even as the living dead she was enchantingly radiate and her reincarnate was just the same.

"I wouldn't be so doubtful, Rin! Kagome said herself she sensed the pure, powerful aura of a genuine priestess within you."

"Wow . . ." she sheepishly smiled, finally completing their kebabs. "So . . . you honestly believe Lord Sesshomaru will leave me to become a priestess?"

Jaken frowned, then sighed, "If only one could be so lucky to read Lord Sesshomaru's mind."

"This maybe my last year with you guys . . ." Rin whispered gloomily, then gave a swift tug on the Ah-Un's reins. Immediately the beast stopped and both heads swerved back to her.

"Ah-Un, would you be so kind to cook these for me?" she asked politely, displaying all four, raw kebabs.

Both heads nodded happily, but it was Ah who stuck his snout out to have his iron muzzle removed. Reluctantly Jaken unlatched his muzzle and instantly a tiny flame torched from his scaly lips. Quickly the kebabs were well done and before she could offer Jaken his, his tiny hands greedily snatched his.

"Someone was hungry," Rin teased as she reapplied Ah's muzzle and kicked the beast's side to get it moving again.

"I'm starving!" Jaken cried with a mouthful of fish lodged in his cheeks. "We didn't have breakfast today!"

Rin laughed once more, then took a hefty bite out of her own. Two still remained, one for Lord Sesshomaru if he felt like eating since it wasn't a necessity for him and the other was for. . .

"Kohaku . . ." she breathed softly before another bite.

Last night Kohaku confided in her and asked whether or not he should join Sango in demon slaying, an occupation he once aspired to be, but now was reluctant to return to. She wanted to demand him to stay with them, but she knew that would be selfish. So, instead she advised him to put the past behind him and begin a new. It seemed they were ultimately destined to separate and travel their own divided path.

"If Kohaku becomes a demon slayer, do you think we will see him often?" she asked, examining the kebab that would've been intended for him.

"I doubt it. Demon slayers hardly ever stay in the same place for very long," he replied, gluttonously licking his fingers.

Rin gave a sad nod, then finished her meal. Once done, she slid off of Ah-Un's saddle with a kebab firmly in hand.

"Where are you going?" Jaken shouted after her as she charged up the beaten trail ahead.

"To give Lord Sesshomaru his lunch!" she cried back, then disappeared behind a curve in the trail.

"Good luck with that!" he retorted, then his stomach growled for more subsistence and without another thought, he began to devour the last kebab.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru! Wait!" Rin pleaded as she spied a splotch of white further up the winding trail.

The demon slowed his pace, but he would not stop even though he was excited about her arrival. A mile away he could smell the cooked meat and surprisingly, his mouth watered for the tantalizing meat.

"I . . . I thought you mah-might . . . might be huh-hungry," Rin puffed once she finally caught up with him. She was hunched over, wheezing to catch her breath with one arm hoisted high to present the delicious meat roasted on a stick to Sesshomaru.

Her eyes popped open and her cheeks flushed as she felt what could only be Sesshomaru's soft flesh brush against her hand as he seized the food. A proud grin ripped her face as she witnessed Sesshomaru pluck off a piece of meat with his sharp nails, then plop it in his mouth.

"You look positively stupid gawking at with such a ridiculous smile," he said after he properly swallowed his food.

"I'm sorry . . ." Rin smirked, evading her eyes from his cold stare. Sesshomaru gave her another long look, then turned to leave. It was then she felt the urge to ask him if she was to remain in Fujioka with Kagome.

"Lord Sesshomaru," she beckoned, trailing behind him. "Am I to stay in Fujioka this time?"

"Elaborate," he demanded, the question too vague for his taste. Quickly Rin revised to accommodate.

"Jaken said I was to be Kagome's apprentice and this time you may leave without me," Kagome said, her brow riddled with confusion, "will you? . . . Are you?"

His golden eyes suddenly flared red with a demonic rage, but his fury fizzled away as Rin joined him at his side and his face was made visible to her.

"Well . . . ?" she pestered, leaning up to him ever so slightly.

"Perhaps." he finally answered just as he ate another piece of meat.

Rin instantly stopped dead in her tracks as her entire body stiffened and her wide eyes watched in disbelief as Sesshomaru strode carelessly onward. The horrible dread returned and wrenched at her insides. Her despair went unnoticed by her lord because she had long ago learned to suppress her grief before he could scold her for being weak.

"Have I done something to displease you, my lord?" she asked softly as she obediently returned to trailing behind him and began playing her childhood game of hopping in and out of his footprints embedded in the ground, which still posed a challenge because he took long strides.

"No." Sesshomaru grunted though he was more than smitten to have her company. He paused, then glanced back to catch Rin leaping from one footprint to another and land skillfully on a single foot with her straighten arms teetering to keep her balance. He found it amusing and the corner of his mouth curved in a subtle smirk, but it instantly vanished once his ward noticed he was watching.

"Sorry," she yelped, then instantly dropped her raised leg. Her head ducked down to hide her blushing face and she began to nervously fiddle with her hair.

"You apologize far too much," he chided, "do you realize that?"

Rin opened her mouth to speak, but words did not come.

"Return to Ah-Un and Jaken," he ordered, "I no longer desire traveling by foot."

Rin nodded and instantly Sesshomaru shot away in one magnificent leap that sent her hair whipping madly behind her. She blinked up to the blinding sun that engulfed him, a hand across her brow.

"Surely you will keep me . . ." she whispered. "Won't you?"


End file.
